Rifle construction



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1948 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

April 3, 1951 F. s. TAYLOR RIFLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 20, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS April 1951 F. s. TAYLOR 2547,16

RIFLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 20, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E15. Talow INVENTOR BY 5 ("A April 3, 1951 F, s. TAYLOR RIFLE CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 20, 1948 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in rifle construction.

-An object of the invention is to provide an improved rifle construction which may be quickly and efliciently changed to either a streamlined sporting rifle or a semi-automatic rifle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form and construction of rifle provided with interchangeable trigger and plate and pistol grip with trigger, attaching plate and magazine, whereby the rifle may be used either as a streamlined sporting rifle with a magazine capacity of three cartridges, or with a magazine capacity of from six to twenty cartridges.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of rifle construction which will be highly eflicient in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture .and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved rifle construction shown with the cartridge magazine and rear hand grip attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a. vertical sectional view through the breech block and receiver or frame with cartridge magazine and firing pin and trigger mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the rifle barrel showing the recoil spring mechanism partly in sectional elevation disposed below the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through. the improved breech block with firing pin and sear for holding the same in cocked position.

Fig.5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main breech block.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the rear section of the breech block.

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view of the inner end of the rifle barrel with sliding sleeve screwed thereon for securing the same in the forward end of the rifle. receiver or frame.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the main recoil spring housing tube.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the lin H-Il of Fig. 3. 1

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section of the detachable and interchangeable trigger and attaching plate for the rifle when used as a sporting streamlined rifle.

Fig. 13 is a view taken on the line I 3-43 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the forward end of the trigger attaching plate shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the reciprocable roller supporting sear and firing pin releasing member with spring locking detent shown in spaced position above. the same. Fig. '16 is a perspective view of the firing pin sear.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In'carrying out the invention there is shown and provided an improved form and construction of semi-automatic rifle including a receiver or frame I to the rear end of which a stock 2 is attached. A rifle barrel 3 is externally threaded as at 4 on its rear end for screwing into the sliding sleeve 5 which is mounted for reciprocation within the enlarged bore 6 in the front end of the receiver or frame I. The rear end of the barrel 3 is chambered to receive the cartridges 1 from the cartridge box magazine 8 detachably and removably supported in the bottom portion of the receiver or frame I by means of the spring locking detent 9. The detent 9 urges the housing 6! with the cartridge magazine 8, rearwardly, holding the extension 9' of the housing 6|, within the groove ID of the frame.

A forearm I0 is removably attached to the receiver and frame I, and to the barrel 3 by means of the inverted U-shape clip H.

An elongated recoil spring receiving and housing tube I2 is supported in parallel spaced relation below the barrel 3 being threaded at l2 at its rear end into the forearm I9 and at its front end by means of the screws I 3 extending into the block H3 at the front end of the frame I. A heavy recoil spring I5 is disposed within the tube l2 withits rear end in contact with the wall IQ of, the receiver or frame I.

The tube I2 is formed with longitudinally extending upper and lower slots H and It for purposes hereinafter more fully described.

The main breech block 19 is reciprocably mounted within the receiver or frame 1, being oppositely slotted at 20 adjacent its rear end, and

formed with a shell extractor 2! at its front end.

Spaced parallel forwardly extending arms 22 are formed integrally with the breech block l9, being connected at their front ends by the bridge 23. A round spring engaging piston head 24 is formed below and supported by the bridge 23, being slidably received within the tube l2 at its front end, and is further formed with a rearwardly projecting axially extending pin 25 which will be disposed within the front end of the cocking spring I5. An actuating plunger 26 is disposed in the front end of the tube I2, and is formed with an axial bore 21 in which a pin 28 is disposed and cushioned by the coil spring 29 surrounding it and received in the enlarged bore 30 in the plunger 26. A head 3| on the pin 28 cooperates with the seats 32 on the inner end of the cocking hand lever 33 pivotally attached to the cross pin 34 extending transversely of the plunger 26. A finger gripping handle 35 is attached to the lever 33, and finger engaging notches 36 are formed in said handle 35 for gripping and swinging the lever 33 from its position parallel with the rifle barrel 3 to a position at right angles thereto for grasping and pulling rearwardly to compress the cocking spring and move the breech block I 9 rearwardly to cock the firing pin 31, in a manner soon to be described.

It will be seen that the restricted connecting portion of the piston head 24 is slidably disposed through the upper slot I! in the tube l2, while the cocking hand lever 33 is slidably disposed through the lower slot l8 in the tube |2.

The rear portion 38 of the breech block is formed with a forwardly extending barrel portion 39 telescopically received within the rear end of the breech block l9, and held in place by means of the screws 40 whose heads extend through the slots 29 in the rear end of the breech block and. into apertures 4| in said barrel portion 39. A set screw 42 will extend through an aperture 43 in the top of the barrel portion 39 and through an elongated slot 44 in the top rear end of the breech block l9.

The elongated firing pin 31 will be re'ciprocab-ly housed in the aligned bores in the breech block l9 and the rear barrel portion 39 thereof, being formed with an annular slot 45 adjacent its rear end for receiving the beveled upper end of the vertically reciprocable cocking sear 46 slidably received in the rear portion 38 of the breech block when said firing pin 3! is in cocked position. The front end 4! of the firing pin 31 is reduced and pointed to pass through the reduced bore 48 in the front end of the breech block I 9 when released, to engage the cap in the rear end of the cartridge '1 for firing the same. Coil cocking spring 49 and recoil minimizing spring 5|] are disposed about the firing pin 3'! at the rear and front of the spacing sleeve 5| attached to the firing pin by the set screw 52, the spring 59 being of or having a greater tension than the spring 49.

The cocking sear 46 is urged upwardly by'the small coil spring 53 received in the rear portion 38 of the breech bolt, and is formed with a forwardly extending lip 54 on its lower end.

A cooperating locking detent 55 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the receiver or frame 1 below the cooking sear 46, and is formed on its upper end with a lip 56 engageable over the lip 54 on the cocking sear 46, and with a rearwardly extending bottom arm 55' terminating in a downwardly sloping extremity 51. Coil springs 58 and 59 are disposed about the detent 55 for resilientlyurging the same upwardly and rearwardly, The lower or bottom arm 55- overlies a well 60 i 1 6 housing 6| forming the guard for the trigger 62 and the housing for the cartridge magazine 8.

The housing 6| is formed at its rear end with a depending rear hand grip 63, and a trigger safety lock 64 of usual construction is provided. The trigger 62 is slidably received in a recess 65 in the housing 6|, being connected by the link 66, which is tensioned by the surrounding coil spring 6'! with the arm 68 of the firing pin releasing pawl 69 pivoted on the pin 10 in the rear of the housing 6|. The upwardly extending actuating arm H of the pawl 69 extends through a slot 72 in the housing 6| and contacts the depending head 13 on the spring arm 14 secured by screw 15 to the sliding bolt member 16. The head 13 extends through a slot 11 in the member 16, and a bearing roller 18 is mounted at the forward end of said member 16 for riding up the inclined end 51 of the detent 55 to depress the lower or bottom arm 55 thereof, into the well 66, thus causing the inter-engaged lips 54 and 56 to pull down the cocking sear 46 from the an-' nular slot 45 in the firing pin 31, causing the same to be spring projected forwardly to fire the cartridge 1 in the rear or breech end of the barrel 3. The rear end of the sliding bolt member 16 is extended to form a rod guide 19 which passes through an opening in the web of the receiver or frame I, and terminates with a head 8|. A coil spring 82 is disposed about the rod guide 19 for resiliently urging the same to its rearmost position. The web 80 forms a part of the support 80' that has a slot 8|" through which the lip 54 of the cocking sear 46 moves when the cocking sear 46 is directed rearwardly, during recoil of the gun.

The housing 6| with cartridge magazine 8, rear hand grip 63 and trigger 62 with its linkage may be detached from the receiver or frame I by releasing the latch 9, and a streamlined trigger plate 83 with trigger 84, trigger guard 85, safety 86 and sliding bolt actuating arm 81 with tensioning spring 88 may be substituted therefor in a short time when the rifle is to be used as a streamlined sporting rifle. Positioning flanges 89 will be formed on the forward ends of the plates 83 for fitting into recesses 96 in the frame I provided therefor.

Front and rear sights 9| and 92 are provided and are of conventional style.

In operation, the magazine 8 filled with cartridges I, will be inserted in position, after which the cocking handle 33 will be pulled down and then pulled rearwardly, thus moving the breech block l9 rearwardly, compressing the cocking springs l5 and 49. When the firing pin has been moved rearwardly a suificient distance, the cocking sear 46 will be resiliently forced into the annular groove 45 thus holding the firing pin 31 in cocked position, and a cartridge 1 will have been inserted into the barrel 3 in position to be fired. When the trigger .62 is pulled, the sear 46 will release the firing pin 31 and the cartridge 1 will be fired. When the rifle is fired, the rear portion 38 of the breech block will strike the back wall of the receiver or frame I, causing the 'two sections of the breech. block to telescope together, compressing cocking spring 49 and cocking the firing pin. Spring 59 serves to minimize the recoil. As the breech block I9 moves rearwardly, the empty cartridge shell will be ejected and a new cartridge I inserted in the barrel as the breech block |9 again closes.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it

5 will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a rifle construction, a frame, a barrel mounted on the frame, a spring retaining tube an a-xia bore, a spring pressed headed pin movt able within said bore the head of the pin extending beyond the plunger, a lever pivotally connected with the plunger, said tube having a slot through which said lever moves, a coiled spring within the tube against which the piston head engages, said lever being movable from a position parallel with the gun barrel, to a position at right angles with respect to the gun barrel, said headed pin engaging said lever restricting pivotal movement of the lever, and said lever and actuating plunger adapted to be moved rearwardly operating the breech block.

2. In a rifle construction, a receiver frame, a breech block mounted within the frame, a breech block actuating means mounted on the frame and embodying a pair of arms extending forwardly from the breech block, a bridge connecting the outer ends of the arms, a piston head formed integral with the outer end of the bridge, a tube in which the piston head reciprocates, a coiled spring mounted within the tube in contact with one side of the piston head normally urging said piston head and bridge forwardly, an actuating plunger mounted in the tube and engaging the opposite side of the piston head, said plunger having a bore, a spring pressed pin having a head on its outer end, movable within the bore, a pivoted cocking hand lever having a handle, mounted within one end of the tube, said handle having recesses providing seats into which the head of the pin moves, holding the lever in either its active or inactive position, said handle adapted to move the plunger into engagement with the piston head, and thus moving the bridge and breech block.

FRANK S. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Denmark Aug. 26, 1946 

